Dental articulator



May 8, 1928.

D. S. HIGHKIN DENTAL ARTI CULATOR Filed March 14, 1927 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 attozwcq May 8, 1928. 1,669,336

D. S. HIGHKIN DENTAL ARTICULATOR Filed March 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w. J; 4 /r IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIZV/l 2 Z v Patented May 8, 19 28.

' UNITED s'rATlii,

fnfrsur OFFICE.

DAVID 8. 31631111, BALTIMORE, IAIFYLAND.

nnn'rn. uncommon.

museum: mach-14, i927, Serial llo. 115,235.

This invention relates to dentistty and has special reference to an articulator for use in the construction of dental plates and the ordinary grinding movement 0 the jaws is not considered in this common method of etting the bite. The only thing considered ing the positions of the upper and lower teeth, either wholly or partially artificial, with the mouth closed and the jaws at rest. Consequently, articulation obtained in this manner is frequently found defectivewhen the artificial teeth are worn since proper grinding movement is not ermitted and the 90 natural movement cannot e obtained on account of the defects in the articulation.

In the previous patent above referred to there is disclosed a means and method whereby correct rinding articulation may be obtained and e principal object of the present invention is to provide an improvedform of dental articulation for supporting ge artificial teeth and wherein the grinding movement nee sary in masticationma be so simulated, the a ticulator making use 0 the means set forth in said previous patent whereby to insure that movement of the artificial teeth will be an exact simulation of the natural movement of the patients jaws and thus any inaccuracy in the positioning of artificial teeth interfering with such movement may be eliminated. With the above and other objects in view as. will be hereinafter apparent, the inven- -l0 tion consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete articulator showing sets of upper and lower artificial teeth in position thereon.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectionon the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail section on the line as positioned in accordance with this inven- 4-4 of Figure 1 with the supporting posts omitted.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Flgure 2, certain of the parts being omitted to show the manner in which the position and the plate used in constructing the artificial teet is obtained.

Fi ure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing both the lower and upper-plates tion.

Figure 7 is a pers ective view of a device used for obtaining tie lower plate osition.

Figure 8 is a view of a certain bite plate such as is shown inv the previous application above mentioned.

In the embodiment of the invention as here disclosed there is provided a base plate 10 having a central opening 11 therein. At the rear of this base plate there is formed a long transverse car 12 wherethrough extends a shaft 13 carrying at its ends a pair of legs 14 which incline forwardly over the base 10 and support at their u per ends a top plate 15. .This top plate, or purposes which will be presently understood, is of neral V-shape in plan with the apex of the V directed away from the legs 14 so as to leave the sides of the plate spaced to provide an openin 16. By means of this construction the plates 10 and 15 may be swung apart and in order to insure that these plates shall be parallel at the time of testing for the tooth bite there is provided on the plate 10 a pair of stop lugs 17 which project upwardly and engage the legs 14 upon the latter being swung forward and the plates 10 and 15 being in parallelism as shown in Figure 1.

On the upper surface of the top plate there is provided a pair of spaced upstanding angled ribs 18 adapted to receive the corners 19 of a positioning plate 20 which may rest on the plate 15 and which has depending spaced legs 21 so that the forward 100 end of the plate 15 may project between these legs. Parallel to the plate 20 is a 1 lower plate-22 which is provided with downwardly extending angled ribs 23 corresponding exactly in position to the ribs 18. That'is to say, when the plate 20 is in position on top of the plate 15 and its corners engaged in the angled ribs 18 the ribs 23 will lie exactly below these ribs 18.

It will be seen from the previous applica- 1m tion above mentioned that there was provided a soft metal arch plate 24 which was placed in the mouth of the wearer and acted upon by pins 25 carried by a metal plate 26 supported on the lower jaw. In the present instance the arch plate 26 is mounted on the under side of the lower plate 22 with its ends engaged in the angled ribs 23 and its pins 25 engaged in suitable Openings 27 formed in said lower plate 22. It will be noted that in the formerapplication provision was made for an artificial plate 28 whereon the plate 26 was mounted by means of plastic material 29 and in the present apparatus with the plate 26 supported as just described the base 10 is swung downwardly and a mass of plastic plaster of Paris 30 is placed on this base 10 and engages the opening 11 to hold it in position. Upon the plate 10 then being swung as far forwardly as it will go so as to bring in parallel to the plate 15 this plastic mass fills the groove in the artificial plate 28 and supports the same as though it were supported in the mouth of the user. The plaster Paris is then allowed to harden whereupon the lower plate support formed by the plates 19 and 22 and the connecting members is removed.

In the previous application the plate 24 was mounted on a carrier 31 which was supported beneath the upper artificial plate 32 y a plastic mass 33 and it will be also noted that the plate 24, being soft, had certain pits ground in it by the chewing movement of the patients jaws. This plate 24 and the artificial plate 32 now carried thereby are placed on the pins 25 thus being in the same position in which they were in the patients mouth. Slidable and rotatable on each of the legs 14 is a sleeve 35 carrying an angled arm 36 which at this time is moved upwardly and swung to lie over the rear end of the plate 32 and the ends of the arms 36 are fastened to the plate 32 by means of masses of plastic material 37 such as plaster of Paris or dental wax. As now arranged the arti ficial plates 28 and 32 are in the same position relative to each other that they would occupy in the patients mouth.

In connection with this apparatus there is also provided a V-shaped plate 38 having pins 39 projecting upwardly therefrom and this plate has its ends so formed and spaced as to fit the angled ribs 18, the pins 39 being alined directly above the pins 25 and for convenience being made somewhat longer and having rounded ends in place of sharp ends. Projecting upwardly from the apex and each leg of the plate 15 is a flexible post 40 preferably formed of a short length of tightly wound spring and on the upper end of the each of these posts is an arm 41 provided with a longitudinally extending slot 42 wherein is slidably mounted a screw 43 engaging a respective point on a movabie plate 44, the screws 43 being arranged in triangular formation. Projecting downwardly and forwardly beneath this movable plate is an arm 4-5 which, when the parts-are assembled lies over the upper artificial plate 32. The plate 44supports the arch plate 24 and its carrier 31 as seen in Figure 1, these being removed from the plate 32 and secured beneath the plate 14 in proper relation to the pins 39 by plastic material 46. At this time the plate 26 is also removed. We now have in fixed position on the articulator a plate 38forming a facsimile of the plate 26 and carrying on its pins the plate 24, these two plates having the same lateral relation to each other as have the plates 24 and 26 in the mouth of the patient.- This much having been accomplished the lower and forwardly projecting end of the arm 45 has applied thereto a mass of plastic material 47 which in turn sup ports the artificial plate 32. The arms 36 are now disengaged and we consequently have upper and lower artificial plates 00- cupying the same relative positions that they have in a patients mouth and by reason of the engagement of the pins 39 in the recesses previously formed in the plate 24 these two artificial tooth plates 28 and 32 may be made to move relative to each other in exact simulation of the movement used by the patient in chewing.

Finally artificial teeth -50 are mounted in the usual manner on the plates 28 and 32 and by moving the movable plate 44 as is permitted by the pin and slot connection and the flexible and elastic post 40 the teeth 50 may be caused to grind together in the usual chewing movement and any defective positioning may be remedied-before they are permanently arranged.

There has thus been provided a simple and eflicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made inthe form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a dental articulator. normally parallel upper and lower supporting plates hingedly connected to support the upper supporting plate, said lower supporting plate constituting a support for a lower set of artificial teeth, a movable plate supported above the upper supporting plate and provided with means for supporting an upper set of artificial teeth, and cooperative lower and upper guide members carried by the upper supporting plate and movable plate and arranged to guide the movable plate in simulation of the guiding movement of a persons teeth. a

2. In a dental articulator, normally parallel upper and lower supporting plates hingedly connected to support the upper supporting plate, said lower supporting plate constituting a support for a lower set of artificial teeth, a movable plate supported above the upper supporting plate and provided with means for supporting an upper set of artificial teeth, cooperative lower and upper guide members carried by the upper supporting plate and movable plate and arranged to guide the movable plate in simulation of the guiding movement of a persons teeth, and other means to temporarlly sup port theupper set of teeth in fixed cooperative relation to the lower set.

3. In a dental articulator, normally parallel upper and lower supporting plates hingedly connected to support the upper supporting plate, said lower supporting plate constituting a support for alower set of artificial teeth, a movable plate supported above the upper supporting plate and provided with means for supporting an upper set of artificial teeth, cooperative lower and upper guide members carried by the upper supporting plate and movable plate and arranged to guide the movable plate in simulation of the guiding movement of a persons teeth, means on the upper plate for establishing the correct position of the lowerguide member, and a lower guide member positioning device arranged to position on the upper supporting plate and having an upper portion adapted to fit the positioning means of the upper plate and adapted for removable mounting on said upper plate.

4. In a dental articulator, normally parallel upper and lower supporting plates hingedly connected to support the upper supporting plate, said lower supporting plate constituting a support for a lower set of artificial teeth, a movable plate supported above the upper supporting plate and provided with means for supporting an upper set of artificial teeth, cooperative lower and upper guide members carried by the upper supporting plate and movable plate and arranged to guide the movable plate in simulation of the guiding movement of a persons teeth, other means to temporarily support the upper set of teeth in fixed cooperative relation to the lower set, means on the upper plate for establishing the correct position of the lower guide member, and a lower guide member positioning device arranged to P05].- tion on the upper supporting plate 'and having an upper portion adapted to fit the positioning means of the upper plate and adapted for removable mounting on sai upper plate.

5. In a dental articulator, normally paring set of artificial teeth, flexible and elastic posts carried by the upper supporting plate and supporting said movable plate, and cooperative lower and upper guide members carried by the upper supporting plate and movable plate and arranged to guide the movable plate in simulation of the guiding movement of a'persons teeth.

6. In a dental articulator, normally parallel upper and lower supporting plates hingedly connected to support the upper supporting plate, said lower supporting plate constituting a support for a lower set of artificial teeth, a movable plate supported above the upper supporting plate and provided with means for supporting an, upper set of artificial teeth, flexible and elastic posts carried by the upper supporting plate and supporting said movable plate, cooperative lower and upper guide members carried by the upper supporting plate and movable plate and arranged to guide the movable plate in simulation of the guiding movement of a persons teeth, and other means to temporarily support the upper set of teeth in fixed cooperative relation to the lower set.

7 In a dental articulator, normally parallel upper and lower supporting plates hingedly connected to support the upper supporting plate, said lower supporting plate constituting a support for a lower set of artificial teeth, a movable plate support ed above the upper supporting plate and provided with means for supporting an upper set of artificial teeth, flexible and elastic posts carried by the upper supporting plate and supporting said movable plate, cooperative lower and upper guide members car ried by the upper supporting plate and movable plate and arranged to guide the movable plate in simulation of the guiding movement of a persons teeth, means on the upper plate for establishing the correct position of the lower guide member, and a lower guide member positioning device arranged to position on the upper supporting plate and having an upper portion adapted to fit the positioning means of the upper plate and adapted for removable mounting on said upper plate.

8. In a dental articulator, normally parallel upper and lower supporting plates hingedly connected to support the upper supporting plate, said lower supporting plate constituting a support for a lower set of artificial teeth, a movable plate supportabove the upper supporting plate and provided with means for supporting an upper set of artificial teeth, flexible and elastic posts carried by the upper supporting plate and supporting said movable plate, cooperative lower and upper guide members carried by the upper supporting plate and movable plate and arranged to guide the movable plate in simulation of the guiding movmentof a persons teeth, other means to temporarily support the upper set of teeth in fixed cooperative relation to the lower set, means on the upper plate for establishing the correct position of the lower guide member, and a lower guide member positioning device arranged to position on the upper supporting plate and having an upper portion adapted to fit the positioning means of the upper plate and adapted 1,eee,ese

for removable mounting on said upper plate.

9. In a dental articulator comprising a plate having grooves formed therein, an oppositely disposed plate, pins carried thereon and adapted to register in the grooves in the lower plate, said plates being transferable from the patients jaw following'the obtaining of a bite through the scraping of the grooves into the first plate by the pins of the second plate when the patient simulates a'chewing action, the grooves serving as guides for the pins and the pins serving as a substitute for the natural teeth in registering the movement of the patients jaw.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DAVID S. HIGHKIN. 

